fermentation

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chevhockey

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Getting ready to do my first non Mr. Beer batch a one gallon caribou sober from NB . My question is how will i know when fermentation is done with out taking gravity readings? Should i just let it go for longer than the one to two weeks or just bottle at 2 weeks
 
Well, you won't really know without taking gravity readings. Specific gravity is a measure of dissolved solids in a liquid. In the case of brewing, how much sugar is dissolved in your wort. As the yeasts ferment the sugars into alcohol, the gravity readings drop until the yeast finish fermenting. You won't really know when you've reached that point until the gravity readings are consistently the same for 2-3 days in a row. With no hydrometer to read the gravity of the beer, there's no way to really know with any accuracy.

However, in most low gravity beers under a starting gravity of 1.060, typically they'll be finished fermenting somewhere from two to three weeks from brew day. This is provided you're using a vigorous, healthy strain of yeast with adequate oxygen and trace elements in the brewing water. If it were me and I had no hydrometer (they cost about $10), i'd let it ferment a full three weeks, even if the activity slows down and the beer "appears" to be done. Be patient, let it sit, it will benefit from a short resting time of about a week after the beer is done fermenting anyway.
 
Honestly, most beers are done with fermentation in less than a week. However, an extra week or two on the yeast helps with cleaning up off flavors and imparting a little benefit from age. I personally never bottle a beer at less than four weeks post fermentation, but your mileage may vary.

But no, you won't know for certain without taking gravity readings. If you plan to get into beer as a hobby, invest $7 in a hydrometer.
 
Agree to what everyone has said thus far.

1) It seems that I once read on the NB website, or possibly on this forum, that Caribou Slobber is notorious for being one of the beers that should definitely sit in primary for 3 wks.

2) Invest in a hydrometer and cheap dollar store turkey baster (for stealing a sample)
 
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